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Hi all, new on here and looking for any thoughts or suggestions on the shortlist of speakers i'm considering to replace my current speakers (Monitor Audio RX8) i've been looking at PMC OB1i, GamuT Phi5, Monitor Audio GX300. I will be hooking them up to 4 Avi monoblocs so they must be at least bi-wire. I have not heard any of these speakers yet so i would be interested in anyone's opinions who has experience of the speakers i've mentioned or others worth considering, thanks.
sorry, messed up first post:doh:
Meridian G08.2 cd player, Avi S2000 pre amp, 4 x Avi S2000 monoblocs, Monitor Audio RX 8 speakers.
sorry, messed up first post:doh:
Meridian G08.2 cd player, Avi S2000 pre amp, 4 x Avi S2000 monoblocs, Monitor Audio RX 8 speakers.
I have heard good things about the GamuTs and seen some ex-demos going for under £2000, would be buying blind but might be worth a gamble.
GX300's are stunning..
Heard these with the Cyrus mono's (X300's I think) and the Audiolab mono's and the soundstage was just superb... Speakers were only 30hours old as well so they could only get better IMO; looked gorgeous too!
Heard these with the Cyrus mono's (X300's I think) and the Audiolab mono's and the soundstage was just superb... Speakers were only 30hours old as well so they could only get better IMO; looked gorgeous too!
sounds promising, looking to audition these very shortly, how did you find the bass definition(detail, tightness, depth) as i thought the RX8's could sound a bit muddy in the bass compared to their top end.hifilover1979 said:
I haven't heard the GamuTs but as an unknown brand, resale values would probably not be that strong - increasing the risk in buying blind.
Frank Harvey
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Without knowing more about your room or preferences, I can only make general recommendations. Plus, I cant make any assurances of the compatibility with your system - that's something you'd have to assess during a demo.
The ProAc D28's are definitely worth listening to. ProAc has been one of our most popular speaker brands for quite a while now, chosen after comparisons to other brands. They seem to have the right blend of warmth and sweetness, and are just the ticket for those wanting to stay away from neutral speakers.
Second up, I would recommend looking at the KEF Reference 203/2's. These are slightly over your budget, but ex demo or B grade would be worth tracking down, as they're so precise in their imaging and vividness that very few other speakers seem to be able to match.
The PMC Twenty.24's are a very open and detailed speaker, with quite a big soundstage, if that sort of thing floats your boat. They do have a lively treble though, so matching needs a little care.
The Monitor Audio GX300's are part of one of the best ranges that I think MA have come up with yet. They've made big steps forward with this range, and it's far better balanced than the Silver series, so you have no worries about them improving greatly over what you already have.
The Naim Ovator S400 (along with the S600), is by far the most accessible speakers that Naim have ever produced. Previously they've always been very dry, but the new Ovators are a lot of speaker for the money, and while one or two areas may just lack a little against the best, their strength is in their BMR midrange, which definitely gives them something over their competitors - it almost sounds like they lack an audible crossover point.
It's worth throwing in the KEF R900's in my opinion as they sound quite different to the Reference models. Their sound is balanced more like the Blades, which is a more accessible sound to many than the Reference.
Just a few recommendations to be getting on with 🙂
The ProAc D28's are definitely worth listening to. ProAc has been one of our most popular speaker brands for quite a while now, chosen after comparisons to other brands. They seem to have the right blend of warmth and sweetness, and are just the ticket for those wanting to stay away from neutral speakers.
Second up, I would recommend looking at the KEF Reference 203/2's. These are slightly over your budget, but ex demo or B grade would be worth tracking down, as they're so precise in their imaging and vividness that very few other speakers seem to be able to match.
The PMC Twenty.24's are a very open and detailed speaker, with quite a big soundstage, if that sort of thing floats your boat. They do have a lively treble though, so matching needs a little care.
The Monitor Audio GX300's are part of one of the best ranges that I think MA have come up with yet. They've made big steps forward with this range, and it's far better balanced than the Silver series, so you have no worries about them improving greatly over what you already have.
The Naim Ovator S400 (along with the S600), is by far the most accessible speakers that Naim have ever produced. Previously they've always been very dry, but the new Ovators are a lot of speaker for the money, and while one or two areas may just lack a little against the best, their strength is in their BMR midrange, which definitely gives them something over their competitors - it almost sounds like they lack an audible crossover point.
It's worth throwing in the KEF R900's in my opinion as they sound quite different to the Reference models. Their sound is balanced more like the Blades, which is a more accessible sound to many than the Reference.
Just a few recommendations to be getting on with 🙂
Electro
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gordy.t said:
Your first choice was probably the best one IMO , the smooth presentation of the Meridian combined with the powerful detailed and dynamic sounding AVI'S should work very well into the PMC OB1i's .
The other speakers you mention are good and worth a listen but if you like a natural live realistic sound then PMC's are very hard to beat .
gordy.t said:
Very good indeed
However I liked the RX8's I would have never bought them; the RX6's were MUCH better IMO with tauter and punchier bass; the RX8's just overdid it to me.
I demo'd the GX200's and GX300's just out of curiosity more than anything else and absolutely loved them; the GX300's were simply stunning... They have a very solid and punchy bottom end but the clarity and detail of their overall soundstage and the way that the bass integrates with it is just brilliant
They do look gorgeous in the flesh as well and I'd rather have them thatn the PL series!
This is about the price point I've been looking at, to upgrade my ES30s. Difference being that I've been looking at used speakers since they are better value for money. At £3700 are a pair of ex demo Kudos Cardea C30s which I listened to, not enough of an improvement over my C30s was the conclusion. Now I see a pair of Wilson Audio Watt/Puppy 5.1s for £4k, wouldn't these blow any new sub £4k speakers out of the water?
FrankHarveyHiFi said:
David, just out of interest, could you elaborate a little more on these differences.
I have briefly heard the R700s, though it was not long enough for a proper assessment (and different room/equipment etc didn't help).
How close to the Ref line to they get?
Apologies to OP for any slight diversion
Cheers
Cno
Frank Harvey
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CnoEvil said:
As most may know, the R series has been designed using Blade ideals, some of them quite new, and not used by KEF previously. Overall I'd say the Reference range are better speakers, but they will require suitable amplification - you get out what you put in. The R series are a little more forgiving and compatible. If I had the choice of the R900 or the 203/2's, I'd still be going for the 203/2's.
For build quality, as good as the R series is, the Reference are out their on their own. While everything has been done to reduce cabinet resonance and standing waves with the R series, they can't quite match up to the curved, over-braced cabinets of the Reference. I suppose you could say that the Reference is almost a 'no holds barred' range, whereas the R series is more of a 'built to a budget' type of thing.
The UniQ of the R series I would say is more technically advanced, and will have it's advantages over the Reference series, but the existing Reference UniQ has been designed to work with Reference, so comparing them (as far as quality is concerned) is a little hard in a way. You'd probably have to compare the UniQ from the Blade to the Reference UniQ to get a better/fairer comparison anyway.
That hasn't really answered the question, has it? 🙂
FrankHarveyHiFi said:
Thx David.
I can't really complain, as it's almost exactly what I'd have written (as an educated guess), if answering the question myself.
The Reference range are exactly what it says on the tin and need partnered accordingly. I would expect the the cabinet, crossover and quality of the drivers to be higher, leading to better bass definition, cleaner midrange and more revealing treble...ie. will be very revealing of upstream components (less tolerant, but much more headroom for improvement as the system gets better).
I was really looking for insights on how the "Blade Technology" had changed the sound (upper mid and treble, and how that differed from that of the the Refs). The R700s sounded well being driven by amplification that imo would not have worked with the Refs.
Thanks for all your replies, guess i need to go out and audition the recommended speakers i can get a hold of in my area, l will let you know how i get on.
If you can give the Vienna concert grands a listern, i found them to be my answer on the end of a Cyrus system which was a bit on the bright side.
Frank Harvey
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CnoEvil said:
Might be worth a thread on its own? Partly so as not to take over this one, but also so I don't get in trouble 🙂
FrankHarveyHiFi said:
Fair enough, new thread coming up.
Despite my selfish interest, I was assuming it might also prove useful to the OP as well.
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